Goulburn Murray netball prospects ready to impress state selectors at Inter Academy Tournament

The Goulburn Murray’s academy — the North East Talent Academy — has access to the best young netballers from Seymour to Echuca to Albury and all the towns in between.

Netball Victoria’s talent academy program aims to develop talented junior players in their technical and tactical knowledge, wellbeing as athletes and physical preparation for training and game day.

Twenty-seven players make up North East Talent Academy, with seven coming from Shepparton and Mooroopna.

North East Talent Academy team manager Kerry Kelton, explained how girls are selected for the academy sides.

“When the girls make their rep teams for their leagues — so the Murray league and GVL rep teams — they get talent identified at the Association Championships,” Kelton said.

“At the end of that year, they trial for the following year’s academy.”

North East Academy’s head coach is Fiona Boyer from the Ovens and Murray League.

The academy has been training together fortnightly since March in different locations across the region.

On Sunday, July 28, the academies will come together to compete in the Inter Academy Tournament.

The matches will be a screening day for the 2025 17-and-under team.

The tournament will not be focused on winning and losing; rather, it will give the players the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, knowledge and potential.

The following Tuesday, 50 players will be selected to progress to the next stage of trials for the state side.

Kelton said a number of highly talented juniors had made their way through the North East Talent Academy in recent years.

“Last couple of years have been very successful,” she said.

“We have had Mackenzie O’Dwyer, who has gone through to the national team — she was in our academy.

“Harriet Gall — she plays for Shepparton Swans — went through our academy and into the state selections.

“If we can get two girls, each year, into the state team, then we have done our job.”